Jakarta rejects Bali Nine denials

JAKARTA - Indonesian authorities are standing by claims that Australian diplomats cautioned them about the political sensitivity of executing members of the Bali Nine in an election year.

Despite denials from Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean, Indonesian Attorney-General's office spokesman Didiek Darmanto said the report in yesterday's Fairfax newspapers was correct.

"They admitted that for the upcoming election, the issue of the death sentences is a sensitive issue," Darmanto said.

He said the issue was discussed during a "courtesy visit" by the embassy's new political counsellor, Paul Griffiths.

"They didn't ask for the death sentence execution to be postponed because of the election, but they just needed to understand the process," Darmanto said.

Nine Australians, known as the Bali Nine, were arrested at Denpasar airport in 2005 trying to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin back to Australia.

Three of them - Scott Rush, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran - have been sentenced to death but plan to lodge their final appeals in the coming months.

Australia plans to seek clemency for the trio if those appeals fail.

Earlier yesterday Crean said: "I'm aware of media reports that the Australian Government has told Indonesian authorities the fate of the Bali Nine is a sensitive issue for Australia in an election year.

"These reports are simply not true."

He said: "The Australian Embassy has formally advised that its staff did not link Australians facing the death penalty with political processes in Australia.

"Our embassy in Indonesia also reports that a press release issued by the Indonesian Attorney-General's Office following the meeting makes no reference to Australian political processes."

Crean said the Australian Government opposed the death penalty and would make representations seeking clemency for Rush, Chan and Sukumaran once their avenues of appeal were exhausted.

"The Australian Government would not condone officials linking the fate of the Bali Nine to Australia's election cycle," he said.

"This is not appropriate. If that were to occur - and I am formally advised it did not in this case - that would not be authorised and would not be approved by the Govern-ment."

- AAP